GOVPH
MENU
Sa
Statements
Position
Feedback.png

Details

TAGUIG CITY - The National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) welcomes the inclusion of the UP Archipelagic and Oceanic Virtual University (UP AOVU) among the ten flagship programs of the University of the Philippines that were launched on 18 June 2024, as part of the university’s 116th Founding Anniversary celebration.

According to the UP Strategic Plan 2023-2029, the flagship program of the UP AOVU will pioneer “a transformative approach to understanding and utilizing our archipelagic environment for sustainable development.” The virtual university hosted in UP Diliman and satellite offices will offer post-graduate programs and conduct research on marine conservation and the Blue Economy. The UP AOVU will also be instrumental in building national, regional, and international collaboration, and leadership in archipelagic and oceanic studies.

Details

Cassava is one of the popular root crops in the Philippines valued at ₱97,623.00 for an average yield of 11,834 kilograms (source: PSA, 2020). The top producing region is Northern Mindanao with 279.29 thousand metric tons (39.3%), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with 218.99 thousand metric tons (30.8%), and Cagayan Valley with 47.50 thousand metric tons (6.7%). However, in terms of area planted, BARMM has the largest with 100,000 hectares.

All parts of the plant are used in various forms: tubers as food when properly prepared and cooked and the upper ground and non-tuber underground parts as fuel for drying the good parts, which are turned into starch and other forms. Roots can be used to produce ethanol and mixed-in feed concentrates for ruminant animals. Because of this, cassava may be tagged as the root crop of life, similar to coconut, widely known as the tree of life.

Details

Diwata, the first satellite made by Filipino scientists and engineers, ignited the interest of the whole Philippines in space science. Since the launching of the satellite in 2016, space technology has become more and more relevant to each and every Filipino through its applications to various fields, including agriculture, fisheries, and natural resources management.

As the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) continues its role as a primary advisory body on issues and concerns related to science, technology, and innovation, it created a Technical Working Group (TWG) to conduct in-depth studies on the use of space technology in agriculture, fisheries, and natural resources management under its Special Concerns Program in 2023.

The group is headed by Dr. Josefino C. Comiso, NAST Corresponding Member and senior scientist emeritus of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), with the following members: Acd. Eufemio T. Rasco, Jr.; Acd. Rex Victor O. Cruz; Acd. Rafael D. Guerrero III; Acd. Glenn B. Gregorio; Acd. Juan M. Pulhin; Dr. Gay Jane D. Perez, deputy director general of Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA); Dr. Franz A. De Leon, director of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI); Dr. Enrico C. Paringit, executive director of the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD); Dr. Felino P. Lansigan, retired professor of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and Dr. Nathaniel R. Alibuyog, professor at the College of Engineering and officer-in-charge of the Office of the Vice President for Research, Extension, and Business (OVPREB) of Mariano Marcos State University.